St Patrick’s Dungiven storm to Leopold Cup hurling semi-final win

Danske Bank Leopold Cup hurling semi-final

• St Patrick’s Dungiven 7-17
• St Patrick’s Downpatrick 1-2

Last season Gaelcholáiste Dhoire reached the Danske Bank Leopold Cup final for the first time and made it count by beating St Patrick’s Keady by 4-10 to 3-7 to take the trophy to Dungiven Castle.

There is a very good chance that the Br Leopold Cup could be remaining in the town – just moving up to Curragh Road – after St Patrick’s Dungiven stormed to a 7-17 to 1-2 win over St Patrick’s Downpatrick in the semi-final at the UUJ campus on Thursday.

They took control right from the start and had eight points on the board before Aodhán McVey scored the first goal in the 18th minute. McVey had opened the scoring and there were two points each from Kevin McCaul, Rhys McCorriston and Callum McLaughlin before the goal.

Rhys McCorriston added a second goal less than two minutes later and St Patrick’s had reached 2-13 before Dylan McAleenan opened the Downpatrick scoring with a point in first half injury time.

After the break it was more of the same with a second goal for both McCorriston and McVey before the 40th minute.

Callum McLaughlin also hit the net twice while centre-half back Kevin McCaul brought his tally to 1-3. Killian Swail bagged an excellent solo consolation goal for Downpatrick eight minutes from time but Dungiven were by far the dominant team.

The other semi-final ended in a 8-12 to 5-6 win for St Colman’s Newry against St Patrick’s Keady.

St Colman’s led by 4-6 to 1-4 at half-time with goals from James Matthews, Oran McAnarney, Patrick Jennings and Senan Blaney.

However Keady improved significantly after the break and ate into the Newry lead with a hat-trick of goals from Shea McCloskey. But late goals from McAnarney and Eoin Doyle sealed victory for the Newry side.

The final is scheduled to take place towards the end of next week.

Dungiven: R McCorriston 2-5, C McLaughlin 2-4, A McVey 2-2, K McCaul 1-3, C McCloskey, R O’Hara and B Douglas 0-1 each

Downpatrick: K Swail 1-0, D McAleenan and C Fitzsimons 0-1 each

St Patrick’s: Pádraig Campbell, Martin Feeney, Pearse Murphy capt.,Shay Clogan, Conor McCloskey,, Kevin McCaul, Conor o’Neill, Rónán O’Hara, Oisín Donaghy, Rhys McCorriston, Callum McLaughlin, Ben Douglas, Dillan McElhinney, Aodhán McVey, James óg O’Kane.